Renault Duster review

Akin to its name, Renault Duster is a characteristic SUV with aggressive looks and power. With Renault Duster the French auto major is looking forward to change its fate in the Indian auto industry, where the auto majors like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata touching five to six digit sales figures, Renault is just able to touch the initial four digits.  The Duster is the first compact SUV being developed by Dacia, the Romanian automaker which is a fully owned subsidiary of Renault since 1999. Duster SUV made its official appearance in the year 2009 and the SUV became available in the European market in March 2010. Duster is sold under Dacia badging in Europe, Algeria, Turkey, Morocco, Ukraine, Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.

Built on Logan platform, Duster will have an overall length of 4.31 meters, just shorter than its big brother Renault Koleos, and a width of 1.82 meters. Considering its size and high ground clearance of 205 mm, Renault Duster is fit for city as well as the off roading and has the nature of a true 4x4 SUV, though India doesn’t have the 4x4 versions. Renault Duster’s front has a rugged and sturdy appearance. The front grille is clad in chrome. The side view in turn also enhances the SUV appearance of Renault Duster besides high ground clearance. Renault Dacia Duster is the one of the cheapest SUV. Dacia, a Romanian car maker happens to be a completely owned subsidiary of Renault.  The Renault Duster was tested aggressively in almost all the terrains round the globe before it was first launched in 2010. Together, they will form the most youthful line-up on the Indian market. The suspension system as well as the underside has been strengthened to handle any road including off-road. The low weight of the new Renault SUV as well as its compact size makes it agile on any piece of land.

Renault Duster made available in both petrol and diesel options. The petrol driven Renault houses a 1598cc I4 DOHC engine that produces 100.3bhp at 5850 rpm and a maximum torque of 145Nm at 3750 rpm. The diesel powered Renault Duster is powered by 1461cc Turbocharged Diesel I4 SOHC engine that is able to deliver two different power figures: 108.3bhp and 83.5bhp power and a torque of 248Nm and 200Nm respectively to the wheels. Duster has two transmission options- five-speed manual and another six-speed manual (108bhp).

Among the safety features Renault Duster comes equipped with engine immobilizer, door open warning lamp, central locking and engine protective under guard as standard features. Anti-lock Brake System, Emergency Brake Assist besides Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, stability control module, two front airbags and three-point seatbelt tensioners features are  incorporated as per the version.